The first week of the NFL season has come and gone, and not much has changed. The Browns are still terrible, the Patriots are still dominating, we still have whack-jobs by the basketful, and game officials still shoot themselves in the foot, as we saw on Monday Night Football.

After a frustrating off-season of lawsuits, rules changes and proposed movies, none of it flattering to game officials, many Saints fans traded their Black and Gold wardrobe entered the Superdome wearing notorious black and white stripes. Some of their shirts carried messages such as “Thief” emblazoned where the nameplate should be, and the appearance of the officials brought a chorus of boooos. But it was not long before Who Dat Nation was reminded who was really in charge.

The league zebras inflicted an additional dose of derision in front of Monday Night Football’s national audience. The Saints were driving inside a minute to cut into a 14-3 Texans’ lead, but a botched call cost a precious 15 seconds taken off the clock. That could have been enough time for QB Drew Brees to have run two more plays and gotten closer than the 56-yard attempt they were left with that kicker Wil Lutz missed. At least, NFL director of officiating Al Riveron admitted the error at halftime, although it did not appease Brees. “That can’t happen,” he said after the game. “If we have 15 more seconds, are you kidding me? You know we’re gonna get closer. That’s a game changer!”

They tried to do it again in the fourth quarter after Houston tied the game with 37 seconds left but missed the extra point. But wait a minute! A Saints’ player hit the ground in front of the kicker and brushed his foot, sending the kicker into a dramatic performance worthy of Laurence Olivier in Hamlet. Another flag flies for roughing the kicker, and the ensuing re-kick put Houston up 28-27. To quote Brees: “Are you kidding me?” Fortunately, the Saints’ QB was fired up enough to show the NFL what he can do with a dying clock and one time out. His pass to Ted Ginn put the ball at the Texans’ 40-yard line with two seconds left, enough for Lutz’s 58-yard game winner.

Whether the officials just panic in the closing minute, the NFL could not have sent a more hurtful message to New Orleans, delivered on its national Monday Night billboard: “We screwed you out of a Super Bowl last year, and we can do it again this year because we are in charge!”

Another story that occupied far too much attention during the opening weekend was the curious case of Antonio Brown. Although he was one of the most productive receivers in the league during six seasons with the Steelers, the Pittsburgh brass tired of his selfish antics and traded him to Oakland at the fire-sale price of two mid-level draft choices. Oakland, whose founding father Al Davis burnished the team’s reputation of mavericks and rebels, sounded like the perfect spot for Brown. His new boss would be Jon Gruden, the sneering head coach whose nickname Chucky comes from a demonic doll in a horror movie. Perfect fit, right? Wrong, because Brown’s shenanigans bit the hand that was going to pay him a guaranteed $30 million. He was cut Saturday morning and by sundown had been signed by the Patriots, the most recent safe harbor for dysfunctional characters.

In recent years, the Patriots have taken in such perceived trouble-makers as Randy Moss and Corey Dillon. I imagine Coach Bill Belichick has a sports psychologist on speed-dial to address the multitude of behavioral oddities that Brown has displayed. He obviously is arrogant, although that is not a fatal flaw in his industry. Belichick obviously believes he can harness Brown’s behavior because he did it with Moss and Dillon. But does Brown’s vision of his importance to New England mesh with Belichick’s vision of how Brown fits with the Patriots? Will Brown realize that he needs the Patriots more than they need him? Delusional behavior can be fatal if he believes he is more important than the team. But maybe winning is the cure. Moss and Dillon became valuable team members and won Super Bowl rings. My feeling is that Brown’s fuse is a lot shorter than Moss’. I believe he needs professional help, and I am not talking sports.

Jim Miller's new book, "Integrated: the Lincoln Institute, Basketball and a Vanished Tradition" is now available from the University Press of Kentucky or at Amazon.com.

Bayoubuzz Note: The column was written prior to recent rape allegations against Antonio Brown

I’ve known quite a few owners of professional sports teams over the years. Like any cluster of human beings with similar interests, owners run the gamut from solid citizens to those who compel you to count your fingers after you shake their hand. I bring this up after Bob Kraft, owner of the six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, was charged last week with frequenting a massage parlor where, for the bargain price of $79 an hour, he apparently enjoyed the pleasures of ladies specially trained in pleasuring horny old men. For an even better bargain price of zero, local sporting fans are taking great pleasure in Kraft’s dilemma, only because it puts their favorite sports commissioner, Roger Goodell, in a precarious position.

Goodell and Kraft once worked very closely on league business such as the mammoth television contract, but the relationship cooled after Kraft’s employees started bending league rules to the breaking point. In 2015, they filmed the other team’s defensive signals, which is against NFL rules, and two years later, they were caught deflating game footballs, making it easier for QB Tom Brady, who must have incredibly small hands, to get a better grip on the ball. (Forget what Trump said about small hands. When you’re married to fashion model Giselle Bundchen, it doesn’t matter!) Kraft was fined for those improper acts, which widened the trust gap between the owner and the commissioner. So what will Goodell do with Kraft now? Since this infraction violates the league expectations of a higher standard for owners, I suspect Kraft will be fined seven figures and suspended from attending games for a large portion of the 2019 season.

Dan Jenkins’ classic “Mankind’s Ten Stages of Drunkenness” reminds me of Kraft. The first or second drink prompts a feeling of “witty and charming,” and anybody who has ever been around Kraft knows he can certainly charm wittily. A few drinks later comes “rich and powerful,” which is a fact of life among team owners. Hit me again and I progress to “benevolent,” as every team owner can point to the millions they donate to charities. But then we drop down past several other characteristics of drinkers to the final two, “Invisible” and “Bulletproof.” That not only perfectly describes smack-faced drunks but also team owners or any other self-important rogue or roguette who thinks they can do anything they want and nothing can touch them.

I had mentioned other owners I have known, and some had their own quirks and shortcomings. One owner worthy of note was Edgar Kaiser Jr. who owned the Broncos between 1981-84. He was not much a factor in league circles during his short term, but he became a legend after he and his wife became embroiled in a messy divorce. After agreeing to a settlement that gave Mrs. Kaiser their huge mansion, Edgar sent his construction crew out with bulldozers and leveled the building.

During my three years with the Bears, Michael McCaskey was the team president. Despite being the grandson of founder George Halas, McCaskey was an academic and college professor who, as oldest son, was expected to come home and run the family business when Halas died in 1983. McCaskey never endeared himself to any segment of the organization, including the players. When the team built the new training center in Lake Forest, Michael installed a putting green just beyond one practice field. After one of the first practices in the new facility, a group of players took a slight detour to the locker room, walking across the putting green with two-inch spikes before returning to the building. Terrible fate for poa annua. But Michael deserves credit for one thing. He once recommended a book to me that he said was ground-breaking and would become a classic. I was skeptical of a book about a boy wizard fighting the dark forces, but I read the book and I have every Harry Potter installment since.

I’ve written enough about Tom Benson and my ten years working with him, and I will say that for all his personal quirks, Mistah Tawhm stands up pretty well against his fellow owners in the areas of integrity and dedication to winning. But I close with a story about my favorite owner, Lamar Hunt of the Chiefs. When I was with the NFL Management Council, Lamar was a member of our executive committee of owners who helped determine the league’s positions on collective bargaining with the Players Association. During the 1982 strike, we convened a meeting of the executive committee in our New York office for a discussion on strategy. All the other committee members were in the room at the appointed hour, except Lamar Hunt. Nobody had heard from him in those days without texting or cell phones, so it was a mystery to all just where he was. About two hours after the meeting started, the door opened and in walked Lamar. Tex Schramm looked up and boomed as only Tex could: “Lamar, where the hell have you been?” The self-effacing Hunt looked up sheepishly and confessed: “When I got to the airport, my plane was overbooked. So they asked for volunteers to take the next flight, so I raised my hand.” “Why?” Schramm asked the man who probably could have bought and sold every other owner in the room. “Because I got a free flight out of it.”

Jim Miller's new book, "Integrated: the Lincoln Institute, Basketball and a Vanished Tradition" is now available from the University Press of Kentucky or at Amazon.com. Visit his website.

The New Orleans Saints have been in operation for 51 years and have only delivered one Super Bowl championship to their faithful fans. Nevertheless, the most loyal fans in the world still bleed black and gold and are passionate about supporting their team. Maybe it was because of the fact the team was announced on All-Saints Day in 1966 but supporting the team has become a religious experience.

Unfortunately, the loyalty was not rewarded for two decades. Finally, in 1987, the New Orleans Saints posted their first winning record. This limited success was followed by 13 more years of losing in the playoffs. The drought ended on December 30, 2000 in a victory against the St. Louis Rams.

The ultimate prize was not achieved for another ten years. After the magical 2009 season, the Saints won their first Super Bowl in 2010. The city celebrated with a massive outpouring of joy and a huge parade. The positive feelings felt by the fans lasted for years.

By this season, there were hopes and dreams of another Super Bowl run. The team was certainly one of the very best in Saints history and seemed to be the best in the NFL this year. The Saints performed as one of the best in the league offensively and was becoming better defensively. The special teams were outstanding and played a role in the Saints reaching a 13-3 record this year.

With the #1 seed in the NFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Saints were positioned to make it to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history. After a tough game with the Los Angeles Rams, the Saints were in a position to run out the clock and kick the winning field goal if only the referees did their jobs. An obvious pass interference call was missed by a team of referees that included four who lived in California. This referee robbery stole the dreams and aspirations of both the entire Saints organization and its millions of loyal fans.

First, there was justifiable outrage, then anger expressed to the local media, then calls to the league office. Soon, a petition was started demanding a replay of the championship game. It generated an amazing 760,000 signatures. This was followed by extensive plans for the Boycott Bowl with entertainers donating their time. Overall, thousands of smaller Super Bowl boycotts will be held throughout the city of New Orleans as local residents will refuse to watch a game that will not feature the two best teams in the NFL.

The aggressive response from fans included filing numerous lawsuits forcing the NFL to respond in court to the egregious call that determined the outcome of not only the game but the entire season.

The NFL is lucky to have the most loyal fans in professional sports. Through the Aint’s, the paper bags, and the years of tragic losses, the fans have remained loyal. The league has certainly not responded with gratitude. First, there was the unfair targeting of the team during the overblown “Bounty Gate” investigation and now this injustice.

At a minimum, the NFL should address the mistakes made in the game and the perception of bias among referees. Consequential changes need to be implemented so this does not happen to another team in the future. Nothing less than the integrity of the league in on the line. If positive changes are made, fans throughout America can thank the Saints fans, who were unwilling to accept this travesty and just sit back and wait for next year.

Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs locally at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and at 10:00 p.m. Sundays on PBS affiliate WLAE-TV, Channel 32, and from 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990-AM & www.Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America's Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on www.JeffCrouere.com. For more information, email him at jeff@jeffcrouere.com

New Orleans Saints fans and practically the whole state of Louisiana are up in arms. And for good reason. It’s become the most talked about call in the history of NFL football. Simply put-the Saints got robbed.

You had to be trekking in a deep jungle somewhere outside the US not to have been aware of the “no-call” in the final minutes of the NFC championship game last weekend. The Saints were on the march with the score tied and only 1:45 left in the game, when a blatant slam by the Rams screamed for a penalty. When no flag was thrown, the fans, both inside the Dome and all over the state, went nuts. The failure to call a penalty has united the state like no other event in recent history. There is a unifying momentum that what happened was wrong and something should be done.

Not to minimize the wrong no-call, but wouldn’t it be refreshing if the same anger could be directed at state government and the lack of any serious problem solving at the state capitol? Somebody should open the windows and start shouting, “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!” Just look at the problems that ought to make everyone in the state really mad.

Health-A newly released report by the United Health Foundation lists Louisiana as dead last with obesity at an all-time high. Yet there is no nutritional education, school lunch menus are laden down with pizza and fried chicken nuggets, and school vending machines are often loaded with sugar loaded soft drinks. With food stamps, one can purchase a whole line of unhealthy sugar loaded foods that include Soft drinks, candy, cookies, ice cream, and any bakery sweets. The American Lung Association gives Louisiana an Ffor failing to enact proven policies that will reduce tobacco use and save lives, noting that 1/4th of the state population are smokers.

Insurance-Louisiana continues to have the highest insurance costs in the nation for both automobile and homeowner’s insurance, with policyholders paying the highest percentage of their income for insurance compared to any other state. Surrounding states have insurance costs much lower, something every policyholder should be really mad about. The insurance regulatory climate get an F according to Washington-based conservative think tank R Street Institute in its Insurance Regulation Report Card.

Early Childhood Education- A recent study by Tulane University’s Education Research Alliance found that 90% of a child’s brain development occurs between birth and age 4, and quality Pre-K programs are an important piece of that development. Yet Louisiana has limited early learning agendas in public schools. The legislature has failed to adequately fund this highly important program and gets an F for failing to do so.

Quality of life- WalletHub just issued a happiness ranking using 31 different metrics, ranging from adult depression rate to the degree to which residents get enough sleep, to income level and commuting length, to came up with the rankings. Louisiana was close to last, listed as number 48. Their comments? “For tourists, Louisiana is a blast. But for people who live there, not so much.”

Trash- A State Litter "Scorecard" released American Society for Public Administration has listed Louisiana as one of the trashiest states in the nation. This one was easy to determine. Just drive down any major road in the state and view all the trash on the sides of the roads.

Drunk Driving- It seems a week does not go by where you read of a driver getting a 4th or 5th DWI. Louisiana has some of the toughest DWI laws of any state in the country.For a third offense DWI there is no discretion for judges.An offender with three convictions faces a mandatory sentence of two years in jail. But the laws are not enforced, and many judges ignore the law.

There are many other categories to list, but you get my drift. All these problems get scant attention when the legislature is in session. It’s election year, with voting just months away. What if voters got as riled up and mad about the state‘s numerous problems as they did about the terrible no-call in the Superdome last week? After all, it was only football game. Isn’t there much more at stake for voters this fall?

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

It’s the end of the college football season with Clemson taking a resounding victory over favored Alabama. The year also produced a financial bonanza for top tier football schools all over the country. ESPN has paid some 7 billion dollars for the rights to telecast just seven games a year over the next 12 years. Television revenue has doubled for major college football programs over last year. Stadiums are expanding and ticket sales are at an all-time high. So let’s ask this question-is it all about the money?

Initially, college football and other athletic programs were supposed to be extracurricular activities; a break from the rigors of taking classes and qualifying for a degree. No more. Just absorb the words of Cardale Jones, a recent quarterback for national championship powerhouse Ohio State. His message on Twitter complained: “Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain’t come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS.”

Maybe Cardale has a point. For many colleges, it’s all about the dollars and winning football games. My old friend and University of North Carolina football coach Mack Brown summed it up this way: “When you hear college presidents and athletic directors talk about character and academics and integrity, none of that really matters. College football is growing closer and closer of being like the NFL.”

When it comes to priorities, my home state’s football powerhouse is a case in point. Louisiana colleges are in a financial free-fall, with new budget cuts being imposed yearly. LSU has seen its state-funding cut by over 40% in recent years. The endowment of the state’s flagship university is one of the lowest of any major colleges in the country. In the most recent edition of U.S. News and World Report’s college rankings, LSU weighed in at a lowly 129th in the nation.

But when it comes to football financial rankings, the Fighting Tigers are high on the list. In the recent Forbes rankings of the most valuable football teams, LSU comes in at number 4, with a current value of just under $100 million, and a football profit last year of $47 million. Coach Ed Orgeron is paid $3.5 million plus performance bonuses and endorsement fees. One of his assistants is paid $ 2.5 million. To compare athletics and academics, the University’s top remunerated professors receive an annual salary of $78,000.

Most Wall Street hedge funds would love to see blue chip stocks increase at the rate of college football revenue. Schools like LSU are paid over $12 million by companies like Nike, just to wear the company’s logo. But to make that kind of money, the football team has to be a winner. And to win, even the top academic schools often cut corners.

My alma mater, The University of North Carolina, consistently ranks as one of the top academic universities in the U.S. But the alums want a football winner. In recent months, press reports documented that for the past 18 years, thousands of athletes, primarily football players, have taken fake “paper classes’ with no attendance and no work performed.

And just what do these athletes receive? Only enough to cover the basic college expenses — room, food, tuition and books. No pocket money to go to the movies, no gas money, no extras whatsoever. So we have college athletic programs raking in millions on the backs of talented, disciplined, hardworking athletes, without sharing the revenue with those responsible for generating it. Such a system is ill-defined at best and hypocritical at worst.

Fifty-six years ago, I was lucky enough to attend North Carolina University on an athletic scholarship. I was given a housing and food allowance that exceeded my costs, as well as “laundry money” that allowed for weekend dates, gas, and a few frills above the basic scholarship outlays. What I received then was equivalent to some $300 in pocket money if the same were allowed today. But the NCAA tightened up the rules, and college athletes get less today than athletes like me received some years back.

The system in place brings in millions of dollars for those that run the football program, but allows our young college athletes to be exploited, and the exploitation is being committed by their adult mentors. What a deal-your body in exchange for a pittance of basic expenses.

Something is definitely wrong with the way college football is run. But with all the money coming in, don’t expect much to change. After all, we only care about winning.

********

“Football: A sport that bears the same relation to education that bullfighting does to agriculture.”

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9 am till 11:00 am, central time, on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

The Saints have never been here before after nine games, and I am not talking about wins and losses. Their current 8-1 record stands second to the 9-0 start run off by the eventual Super Bowl champions in 2009, but that’s not the HERE I am talking about. At this point of the season, no Saints player has been the leading candidate for NFL Most Valuable Player. Not even during the magical Super Bowl year was QB Drew Brees given as much consideration for the honor as previous winners Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

This season, Brees has played magnificent, MVP-calibre football, as his performance Sunday at Cincinnati will attest. Watching Brees dismantle the Bengals was like watching your GPS smoothly maneuver you over obscure highways and strange byways as you simply follow blindly along and wonder “how did it do that?” Against Cincinnati, Brees led the team to scoring drives on their first nine possessions, which is one off the all-time record, including a surgical 22 of 25 completions for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Throw in rushing performances by Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, only one penalty the entire game and a defense that resembled the ’85 Bears, and you saw perfection.

In fact, during the game, I was thinking of Don Larsen, the journeyman Yankees pitcher who threw the only perfect game in World Series history, over the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956. I had already written the headline for this column: “Apologies to Don Larsen, but Saints toss perfect game!” My Louisville pal, Jeff Duncan of the local wipe, had the same idea and wrote it today with Coach Sean Payton’s qualifier that it wasn’t perfect but it was close.

But perfect, schmerfect, it was team win to the standards that Brees has been providing all season. His completion percentage is 77.3 percent which is ahead of the all-time season mark of 72%, held by none other than Drew Brees. Throw in 2,601 passing yards and 21 touchdowns versus one lone interception. His passer rating of 123.8 is running ahead of Aaron Rodgers’ current high mark of 122, set in 2011 during his own MVP season. A week ago in the team’s biggest game of the year, Brees laced the 8-0 Rams with 346 passing yards and four touchdowns, including a game-saving 72-yard TD to Michael Thomas.

Watching Brees operate, it is hard not to agree with former Chiefs and Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez who says Brees is not simply one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. He is the greatest quarterback to play the game. We can empty a few kegs arguing that one, but the immediate question? Is Brees the 2018 NFL MVP?

Some observers believe team performance influences the voters? Must the Saints win the Super Bowl for Brees to have a chance at the award? Interestingly, the numbers don’t back that up. Looking at every Associated Press MVP since the Saints came into the League in 1967, only six quarterbacks whose team won the Super Bowl were voted the league MVP by the Associated Press. The numbers even suggest that losing the Super Bowl might enhance a quarterback’s MVP hopes. Over the same time period, 13 quarterbacks whose team lost the Super Bowl were eventually named league MVP.

I know, figures can lie and liars can figure, so where does that leave Brees’ chances to win the 2018 MVP award? I would say that his total body of work, including all-time passing yards leader, second now to Peyton Manning in lifetime touchdown passes, a chance to finish the year with the all-time best QB rating for a season and the best all-time completion percentage, weighs heavily in his favor. A subliminal factor is the sentimental vote, which counts for something. Brees will be 40 in January. But it’s his time because he deserves it. -------

by Jim Miller

His new book, "Integrated: the Lincoln Institute, Basketball and a Vanished Tradition" is now available from the University Press of Kentucky or at Amazon.com.

A new NFL season started last night, and there were more misguided National Anthem protests. Sadly, last night, several players used the opportunity to express their grievances against the country, instead of respecting a great symbol of the United States.

Last night, two players on the Miami Dolphins team knelt while another one raised his fist in protest. Another two members of the Philadelphia Eagles raised their fists.In Jacksonville, four members of the Jaguars stayed in the locker room while the National Anthem was played.

The exact reason for these protests is unclear. While some are protesting police brutality, others are calling for more comprehensive criminal justice reform, such as reducing the incarceration rate among African Americans. Others are decrying the poverty in the black community and are advocating increased government assistance.

The players who are protesting are not disadvantaged by any means. According to a Forbes 2015 study, the average NFL player earns $2.1 million annually. This is more than forty times the average American salary of approximately $50,000 per year.

Of the $15 billion that the NFL brings in every year, about 48% is dedicated to the players. To many hard-working Americans who spend their money to support the NFL and the players, the protests are infuriating. Without the fans buying the season tickets and the high-priced merchandise, there would be no exorbitant salaries. In fact, there would be no NFL.

This is the same message that President Trump tweeted this morning, “A football game, that fans are paying soooo much money to watch and enjoy, is no place to protest.”

Of course, President Trump is right. If players want to protest on their own time, no one would have a problem. However, to do it prior to a game is more than inappropriate. It is injecting politics into an area that should be solely about entertainment.

Currently, there is no official NFL policy on anthem protests. League officials are supposedly working with members of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) to create a consensus on the issue. Earlier in the year, the NFL announced that all players would be required to stand for the anthem or stay in the locker room. Unfortunately, after criticism from the NFLPA, the league suspended the enactment of the policy.

This entire controversy was exacerbated by the politically correct leadership of the NFL. They are afraid to upset the players but are obviously fine with upsetting the fans who support the league.

Last year, the anthem protests contributed to the poor ratings and declining revenue for the NFL. Until the league forcefully deals with this issue, the ratings and revenue will continue to suffer.

All the NFL must do is look at the ratings for the Hall of Fame game last week. It was down significantly from the year below. It should serve as a major wake-up call for the NFL, the clock is ticking.

Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs locally at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and at 10:00 p.m. Sundays on PBS affiliate WLAE-TV, Channel 32, and from 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990-AM & www.Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America's Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on www.JeffCrouere.com. For more information, email him at jeff@jeffcrouere.com

The Times Picayune reported last week that the New Orleans Saints may ask the state to pay for a $350 million upgrade to the Superdome before the 2024 Super bowl. That’s a huge taxpayer commitment for a state that can’t even fund education at all levels and basic healthcare for hundreds of thousands of its citizens. So how should any upgrade be paid for?

The Green Bay Packers are one of the best examples of how a sports franchise should operate. They don’t go to the state capitol hat in hand, looking for a handout. The team is owned by citizen stockholders all over Wisconsin, and the Packers’ management doesn’t regularly try to blackmail public officials under threat of moving.

Recently, when it came time for Green Bay to revamp and refurnish legendary Lambeau Field, the state of Wisconsin didn’t put up one penny. All proceeds came from the private sector. Season ticket holders were charged a one-time user fee of $1,400, which fans can pay over several years. In addition, the Packers did a stock offering, just like many corporations do for capital improvements. And finally, thePackers took out a team loan to be repaid out of yearly revenues. No sweetheart deals from the state, no special considerations, no coming to the public trough for taxpayer money.

What happens in my home state of Louisiana is that team owners have cried wolf saying they will have no choice but to move elsewhere if, the tax incentives and outright dollars are not bountifully offered. But under the NFL financial structure, owners can’t lose money.

Unlike other professional sports operations, individual teams do not sell television revenues. In baseball, the New York Yankees get broadcasting revenues significantly greater that what a smaller market receives. In pro football, every team shares in one gigantic pie. Little Green Bay receives the same television revenues as does a team in New York or Los Angeles.

The Packers have also bought up 28 acres spending more than $27 million to develop an entertainment district. This would give the team revenues that it would not have to share with other clubs. It is a business strategy that a number of NFL franchises are undertaking. The Saints have the same strategy but Louisiana taxpayers pay all the costs.

The Saints receive $6 million in direct funding, from the state of Louisiana each year. But there is much more they will receive that is every bit as valuable as direct payments, including millions in upgrades for luxury boxes that mean more profit. The state pays the cost, and the Saints get the income.

Then there is the agreement for the state to lease office space in a downtown office building adjacent to the Dome being purchased by the Saints owners. The state is to lease more than 320,000 feet at $24 dollars square foot, which is one of the highest rental rates in the state today. So the Louisiana taxpayers are basically paying the cost of the building the Saints’ ownership is buying.

But what about all these projections of how much the economy in New Orleans will be positively impacted, with millions more in tax revenue. Figures are being wildly thrown around, indicating an $500 million economic impact. A University of New Orleans study, quoted in a New Orleans Times Picayune editorial, estimated that the Saints produce $22 million in state revenue. Here’s the fallacy. Any such analysis assumes that all of the dollars spent at Saints games are dollars that are new to the region’s economy. Most dollars spent going to the Superdome are dollars that would have been spent on other leisure activities in the area. There are numerous choices as to how to spend leisure dollars. Going to a football game is just one.

The Brookings Institution’s recent 500 page study titled, Sports, Jobs and Taxes, concluded that professional sports teams “realign economic activity within a city’s leisure industry rather than adding to it. “Professional sports,” they write, “are not a major catalyst for economic development. Consultants, often hired by team owners who say otherwise, according to the Brookings study, “are peddling snake oil.”

But more important, the Packers represent the best of the American free enterprise system. They built a championship team by paying their own way without trolling for taxpayer dollars. It’s a lesson that should be adhered to by both the Saints and the State of Louisiana.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9:00 am till 11:00 am Central Time on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

After a year of needless controversy concerning player protests of the National Anthem, the NFL finally decided to act. At the owners meeting this week, a decision was made to require players to stand at attention during the National Anthem if they are on the playing field. Otherwise, players will be given the option to remain in the locker room. If players show disrespect during the National Anthem by sitting or kneeling, their team will be fined by the NFL.

This is not the perfect answer for it does not require all players to stand for the anthem, but at least it is a better to have an official policy. Previously, the NFL had no policy, so the players were allowed to disrespect the National Anthem with no consequences. This new stance is similar to the official position of the National Basketball Association.

Of course, liberal activists were not pleased with the decision. The head coach of the Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr called the policy, “idiotic.” Chris Long of the Philadelphia Eagles said that the decision was made because of a “fear of a diminished bottom line.” He also claimed it was “not patriotism” to enact this new policy. Plenty of media personalities also slammed the decision as unfair to players who wanted to protest. For example, Marc Lamont Hill of CNN tweeted, “If the NFL players want to resist, they should ALL remain in the locker room during the anthem.”

Not surprisingly, President Trump had a much more favorable response to the decision. In an interview on Fox News, the President said, “You have to stand proudly for the National Anthem. You shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there. Maybe they shouldn't be in the country...the NFL owners did the right thing"

Of course, the President is correct. It is not much to ask millionaire football players to show some basic respect toward their country by standing during the National Anthem. Not standing for the anthem is an insult to the veterans who have sacrificed so much to allow our citizens the freedom to enjoy games such as football.

Football players earn outrageous salaries due to the generosity of hard working fans, including veterans, who pay for high priced tickets. Most of these fans expect NFL players to display reverence for the American flag and stand for our National Anthem. A protest during this period is both inappropriate and insulting. It is one of the reasons the NFL suffered a loss of revenue and ratings last season.

If the NFL owners are hoping to this compromise decision will bring this issue to a resolution, they are sadly mistaken. The protests will continue as the liberal media will continue to support players disrespecting the National Anthem. However, players should understand that if they continue with this protest it will only harm their career. If there are any doubts, just ask Colin Kaepernick.

Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs locally at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and at 10:00 p.m. Sundays on PBS affiliate WLAE-TV, Channel 32, and from 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990-AM & www.Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America's Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on www.JeffCrouere.com. For more information, email him at jeff@jeffcrouere.com

I will admit that I am no different from you when it comes to an opinion on who the Saints should draft when the 2018 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night. All things being equal, I would pick a pass rusher or a tight end. Options will be available at both positions when the Saints are on the clock at No. 27 in the first round. However, the players still available at those positions might not necessarily be the best overall player left on the board.

There is inevitably a run on one or two positions that often leaves a ruby shining at another position. For example, if teams see a need for offensive linemen and five or six are drafted early, that might leave a linebacker or a wide receiver on the board who is rated higher as a better long-time prospect. Teams can get lucky when higher rated players fall into their lap. That is why you will hear several times on draft night that a team will either draft for need or will take the “best available” player, regardless of position.

The latter is how the better teams approach the draft. With injuries, free agency and other factors, you can’t have enough depth, even at a position you think is secure. Last year, the Saints were extremely fortunate when their need and the best available player happened to coincide when cornerback Marshon Lattimore was still on the board at No. 11. The pick was more than validated by Lattimore’s play that earned him defensive rookie of the year. That was the Saints’ good fortune.

So how about this year? Will the Saints get lucky again and have the best player available at a position of need? Or Not? I went through an exercise to see just what might happen if every team picking before No. 27 chose the “best available” player. The results are interesting and somewhat surprising. I took the draft rankings of five organizations that posted their top 50 or 100 draft prospects and looked at who they have at No. 27 or the vicinity. Interestingly, two of the selectors had Alabama WR Calvin Ridley as the 27th ranked player, although he is predicted to go much higher in most mock drafts. I am sure the Saints would not mind it if Ridley fell down the board to them since wide receiver is a position of modest need, but that is not likely.

Another player ranked at 27 was South Dakota TE Dallas Goedert who would be a logical selection for the Saints. Some experts believe the team can find a tight end beyond the first round, as they did Jimmy Graham in the third round. Another predictor had Georgia RB Sony Michel at 27. I doubt the Saints would take a running back that high, especially with Mark Ingram and last year’s offensive rookie of the year, Alvin Kamara, coming off a fantastic season. But the next two players are at a position of need - defensive tackle – in Michigan’s Maurice Hurst and Florida’s Taven Bryan. Hmmmm! My fifth predictor’s 27th-ranked player was a true surprise; Wyoming QB Josh Allen, who is also rumored to the first overall player selected, by the Cleveland Browns. I doubt Allen will still be there at 27, but it poses an interesting question for the Saints.

Would they draft a quarterback if the right guy fell to them? I believe they would, but it would have to be a player like Lattimore, whose grade last year far outkicked the Saints’ slot. Of course, this was just an exercise and not an attempt to match team needs with a dwindling draft board, which still leaves my prediction? I think the Saints will again try to match ranking with need. The two positions of need that should have players rated sufficiently high enough for the Saints are defensive line and tight end.

My pick: Florida tackle Taven Bryan in the first round followed by a trade-up into the second round to pick a tight end. Bryan is an elite 3-down run defender and an accomplished pass rusher who would fit right into Coach Sean Payton’s expressed need for another defensive stopper. That’s my pick. Who do you like?